Browns fire head coach Mike Pettine, GM Ray Farmer

The Cleveland Browns fired head coach Mike Pettine on Sunday, following the conclusion of a 3-13 season.

General manager Ray Farmer was also fired in what is apparently a complete rebuilding of the Browns' football operations.

In a letter to fans, team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam explained the decisions:

We've made this difficult decision because we don't believe our football team and football operations were positioned well for the future.

We are all disappointed with where we are and clearly understand your frustrations. We take full responsibility and understand you expect better from us.

Pettine becomes the fourth straight Browns head coach to be fired after two seasons or less. Since the Browns re-joined the NFL in 1999, the franchise has employed eight head coaches.

Improbably, the last five head coaches fired within the AFC North have all been Browns coaches.

Pettine's staff showed some promise during a 7-9 season in 2014, but things came crashing back to earth this year, as the Browns failed to find stability at quarterback and struggled mightily on defense, Pettine's area of expertise.